The U.S. and the Philippines on Tuesday showcased their air power over the Western Pacific Ocean amid persistent tensions with China.
The countries, which have a mutual defense treaty, each provided jets for a training mission over the Philippine Sea, east of the Southeast Asian country, the U.S. Air Force said.
The drill increased proficiency and readiness to ensure the Indo-Pacific region remained free and open, the U.S. Air Force added, while demonstrating the interoperability of the alliance’s air forces.
Newsweek has reached out to the Philippine military for comment.
Senior Airman Tylir Meyer/U.S. Air Force
The Chinese Foreign Ministry stated on November 18 that any defense and security cooperation between Manila and Washington should not target or harm the interests of any third party.
Newsweek has reached out to the Chinese Defense Ministry for comment.
There are growing tensions in the contested South China Sea, which is located to the west of the Philippines. China‘s maritime claims conflict with those of the Philippines, and the disputes have led to clashes and political tensions.
Manila, which is the oldest treaty ally of Washington in Asia, has voiced its intention to purchase a ground-based, mid-range missile system from the United States. The system can fire the Standard Missile 6, an anti-air munition that has a range of 290 miles.
The Chinese military has 2,400 combat aircraft, making it the largest aviation force in the Indo-Pacific region. China has been artificially increasing the size of South China Sea islands under its control, including land reclamation and building outposts with runways.
The Philippines is also part of the first island chain, which extends southward from Japan via Taiwan. It is one of the layers of a U.S. defense concept in the Western Pacific Ocean that uses allied or friendly territories to constrain China’s naval and air activity in wartime.
According to photos released by the U.S. Air Force on Wednesday, at least two American F-16s and two Philippine FA-50s participated in Tuesday’s training exercise. The former is a highly maneuverable multi-role fighter aircraft, the latter a light combat aircraft.
Tech. Sgt. Micaiah Anthony/U.S. Air Force
The photos revealed the F-16s were assigned to the 77th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, which is based at Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina. The unit has sent fighter jets to Kadena Air Base in Japan to maintain a rotational presence of U.S. tactical aircraft there.
The base is located on Okinawa, which is known as the “Keystone of the Pacific,” an important stronghold for the U.S. military to project its air power in the region, including Taiwan, which is 370 miles away.
The presence of Kadena Air Base is critical to deterring aggression and providing protection in the Indo-Pacific region, the U.S. Air Force says.
